The road to the District 6-AAA title still runs through Cookeville.
The Warren County High School baseball team tried to salvage a split against the Cavaliers on their home turf Tuesday night, but the Pioneers fell 7-3 in a battle of district rivals.
Warren County (9-8) fell to 2-2 in district play, good for third place at the halfway point of the District 6-AAA schedule.
The Pioneers had their chances early, leaving the bases loaded in the second inning in a scoreless game, but five errors proved costly as Cookeville improved to a district-leading 3-1.
Warren County sent out senior Micah McColloch against the Cavaliers and he made quick work of Cookeville in the first inning.
The Pioneers were very close to giving McColloch an early lead to work with, but the clutch hits that have been so prevalent to begin the season didn’t come in Cookeville.
Warren County loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second, but Austin Panter went down swinging and Nick Grandey barely missed a grand slam when his long fly ball to left field was snagged at the warning track.
After dodging a bullet, Cookeville scored seven straight runs in the next three innings to take over.
The Cavaliers got one run in the bottom of the second with back-to-back singles. An error got the ball rolling in the third as Cookeville got two run-scoring doubles to go ahead 3-0.
By the time the Cavaliers plated four runs in the fourth on four hits, McColloch’s night was done and coach Adam Childs turned to fellow senior Logan McCormack.
McCormack shut down the Cavaliers once he stepped on the mound. McCormack struck out a batter to end the fourth, then gave up two hits over the next two innings without allowing a run.
Warren County cracked the scoring column in the top of the sixth.
Garrison Holmes started the rally with a single, then moved to second after Austin Green drew a walk.
After an out, the splendid bunting and base running by the Pioneers showed up as the team scored its first run.
Daulton Foster laid down a perfect bunt to move the runners, but ended up reaching base on his own by beating the throw to first.
Holmes astutely advanced home on the play as he never slowed down rounding third. Green moved to third on the play, giving Warren County runners on the corners.
Logan Underhill scored Green with an RBI groundout and Foster would score the third Pioneer run of the inning on an RBI single by Panter. The rally ended with a groundout by Grandey.
The Pioneers threatened to add to their total by putting two runners on in the seventh, but back-to-back groundouts by Green and Alex Hillis ended the game.
McColloch took the loss, pitching three and a third innings and giving up seven runs, five earned, on seven hits. McColloch finished with two strikeouts, no walks and one hit batter.
McCormack allowed two hits during his time on the mound and struck out three.
Foster and Brett Mullican led Warren County with two hits apiece while Underhill and Panter led the team with one RBI apiece.
The Pioneers return to action today with a home game against Park Tudor, Ind. Action will start at Patrick Ramsey Field at 9 a.m.